"Can we talk?" Eunji said softly. She followed Jongin to the guest room after their friends left. She thought it's now or never. She can't chicken now. 

"Yeah, be my guest. What's going on? Fill me in why my friend was trying to pick a fight with me." He said sarcastically, as he turned to face Eunji.

"No, Kyungsoo wasn't trying to do that, he was just -."

"He was just what?" 

"He, he was just tired. I asked for his help and," Oh God, she can't even find the words to say! Way to go Eunji!

"Help? Again?" He cuts her off again. "What were they doing here anyway?" It's not like he didn't want his friends at home but of all the days it has to be that day?!

She took a deep breath before continuing, trying to collect her train of thought if there were still any left. Damn, does Jongin have to be this intimidating?! "I asked them, I was learning to cook and they helped me and I just thought it would be nice to have everyone around since it's the first time I made a proper meal for you guys…" she paused. "Sorry if I didn't tell you beforehand, but I was trying to call you earlier but it didn't go through. They were here for hours. We waited for you…" She thought she did well on that bit of an explanation part. Maybe she can do this dreadful talk after all.

He just looked at her with an unreadable expression on his face but didn't answer.

"I know you didn't have to tell me everything you do but you said I could call you so I did but your phone was unreachable, the guys tried to call you too and we were starting to worry…"

"What am I, a five year old?" He hissed. "And I'm perfectly fine right? Now, are we done here?" He suddenly doesn't want to talk to her anymore, there are other things he has in mind and he thought it's childish to even bring it up with no solid evidence, yet.

"I also want to talk to you about something else, please." She quickly said. She'd rather do this now than later, who knows when she'll be able to muster some courage again? "About us."

"What about us?" He asked and sighed. Looks like she's determined to make this a long night for the both of them.

"About this relationship. Our set up. We both know you were just forced into this marriage. Maybe this is me imposing again… and I don't know, maybe it's too early or too much for me to ask you a favor but I hope you can at least try, at least try to give us a chance to work things out between us." She said. Her palms started to sweat, running dry and her nerves quivering. She's so darn nervous!

"Work things out?" He said flat out, eyes squinted at her. She's imposing indeed dearly. "I'm sorry? You said you know that I was forced into this marriage and yet you're asking for -" Jongin lets out a sharp breath. "You're damn right that you're asking for too much now lady. It wasn't enough for you that you're now tied to me? Sorry, did you expect me to behave like the real husband that you dreamed of? 'Cause I'm not sorry to disappoint you that I'm not who you think I am. Or did you want me to pretend too? 'Cause you're really troubling me now so much that you can pay for, you know?" She's being unbelievable, he thought.

Eunji choked on the lump on and bit her lower lip hard. 

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry." Trying her best not to cry. She just dug her own grave. Why can't she just be content with what they have?! 

"I didn't mean to trouble you more than I already did. You don't need to pretend or anything like that. You don't even need to like me." She lied 'cause she really needs him to like her but she guessed it's really impossible so she'll take whatever he can give. "I just thought we could, maybe, casual at least. You don't need to see me as your wife, really, maybe a house mate will do." She's totally talking nonsense nonstop now with her trembling voice. "You see, you don't really need to avoid me or be sarcastic almost every time. I'm having a hard time too as it is and I know you are too. I promise you, I won't be a hindrance to you anymore, I won't even follow you around. It's no secret that I like you so much to be married to you… but this set up, if there's anything I can do to make it bearable for you I'll do it. Just tell me what to do." She said. She knows she sounds desperate but yeah that's what she is if it's for Jongin. Tears fell and she quickly wiped them out but it kept on. Stupid tear ducts!

"Unbelievable. Did you think that we're going to have this marriage for too long? I'm glad that you brought this up because it's been a month now or so and yeah, maybe we can decide what our set up will be while we're at it. I guess we can step up as housemates. I guess we can do that. You, not following me around anymore, that's nice and all, I just hoped you've decided that a long time ago, maybe after that prom night when I said no to you and maybe we wouldn't be in this mess right now! And you said it's difficult for you too, sure, I must admit I'm at fault too. If nothing happened that night, we wouldn't be in this . Sorry about that too, that was my mistake." And he can't believe he's even apologizing for something he can barely remember! He's losing his rationale with this girl! He's not even sure what to do with her anymore! And her pulling the trigger with him that night is a big blow to him, he just made him remember every reason why he's married now to a person he didn't like! He's trying his best to stay away from her, he's afraid that one day he might really lose it because of their situation.

"I'm so sorry Jongin..s-sorry," Eunji's already a crying mess and she can feel how much Jongin hates him now.

How can she just ask him casually to work things out? And there's still something that bugs him ever since that night. She might as well let everything out now that they've opened the can of worms.

"So tell me, 'cause I really don't remember anything that night. How did we do it? Cause I know if I was sane I wouldn't touch you and even more to have with you!" He said as he moved closer to Eunji who just stood there frozen with her red puffy eyes now. "Did you like it? Did you forever crush on me sufficed that one time in bed with me? Eunji stepped backwards this time as Jongin moved closer.

"Jongin..." She said with a crack voice. This isn't part of the talking that she was expecting. She wasn't expecting for the best but she sure wasn't expecting it to be this worst. Jongin has never spoken to her about this whole marriage, not once and now he just seemed to vent all of his anger on her now. 

"What? This is what you want right? You want me right? Now let's try that again and this time I can at least remember it when I wake up in the morning. Shall we?" He said as he grabbed Eunji on her shirt and ripped it. She couldn't move back anymore when her back hits the closed door. Jongin towering him, his hand up against the door and his face inching closer to hers...

All the shirt's buttons scattered all over the floor and revealed her undergarment as she gasped loudly. Aside from her almost exposed top body he can also see the terrified look on her face, her reddened face down to her neck and chest like a vine. Her swollen eyes and lips. And that petrified look in her eyes that met his furious ones was what brought Jongin back from whatever hell he was in his mind.

It's like he was drenched in cold water, especially when he felt Eunji's hand on his face in a slap. He should have seen it coming. He deserved it for being a bastard. How could he let himself do that to her? How could he ever lose his cool? He's been trying to avoid this confrontation 'cause he knew he might just burst like he did. Still, that doesn't justify what he just did to her. Tormenting her like that was indefensible. He's the worst!

Next thing he knew was his door slammed on his face and her footsteps running away from him.

~~~

It must be hours ago and Jongin was still pondering about what happened. Contemplating with his life decisions so far.

He's already in bed and staring in the darkness of his room, at the door that Eunji slammed while running away from him. She looked so scared that he felt his heart flinched a little. He did go too far. He was just planning to like he always does 'cause he's amused seeing her trying to hold back, she must really like him that much. He snickered, feeling proud for some reason. Also, she might be cursing him in her mind, he doesn't know that  but again she never fought back no matter how he provoked her until now. It was him who always lost control with her instead, actually. Maybe he's mad because of his own life choices and Eunji was conveniently there to vent to, although he knows it was wrong.

He wonders how she gets angry. The first time he really saw her snapped was when they went for grocery and the cashier was a little too friendly with him. He didn't know that Eunji has a sassy side too. She smirked at the thought. Her reaction back then was epic, especially when the cashier assumed Eunji was his sister. She must be spending too much time with Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo. He suddenly irked at the thought.

He remembered Eunji being cute when they were younger, whenever she's at his parents' home before, their house becomes lively. She saw him animatedly telling stories to his mother whenever he passed by them somewhere in the house. He never really took her seriously even though she usually confesses her crush for him back then like it's a normal thing to her. He never really saw her anything but like an annoying sister that he disregards. Even though they're the same age she's a little too short and petite. She was so different from those girls he dated. Not that he actually has a type when it comes to who to date but he's sure he wasn't into someone like Eunji.

Who would have thought they'd end up on his bed together one day, and spent. Who would have thought he'd really be married to her after all?

Ah. That fateful day, that moment when he woke up with Eunji in his arms. He's never really seen her that close before but he remembered how she's sleeping soundly as if that's where she belongs. It took him a couple minutes to realize what was going on, he was hungover and still in daze, he woke her up and as if on cue… someone's at the door.

Next thing he knew was his mother collapsed by his door with the sight of them along with his father who was shocked and furious at the same time. Next scene was Eunji crying all of a sudden, as she got off the bed quicker than Jongin to aid his mother with only a blanket around her, leaving Jongin with the comforter to hide his own ness. He followed suit only to be stopped by his father, instructing them to get dressed first and carried his mother out of there. That was the first time he really saw her cry and something within him made him want to beat himself up for making her cry for some reason.

Everything happened so fast, so fast for Jongin to even think properly enough. Good thing his mother was okay after some rest. His mom didn't let Eunji go back to her apartment that day since there was no one there aside from the maid. His mom and dad talked to him alone like he was the most irresponsible son or guy in the world. He was ashamed of himself too that time.

They reprimanded him for taking advantage of Eunji when he knew that she's a family and she liked him. And told him how would her parents react especially if she gets pregnant and all. That they both haven't graduated yet. As his parents too they can't just let what they saw slide just like that cause what kind of parents are they going to be? They even blamed themselves for not being good parents to him since he did something to Eunji. His mom went emotional again cause she loved Eunji and she can't take Eunji being tainted like that by his own son. His father was quiet as he comforted his mother. 

They treated him as if he's really an assailant and as if Eunji was an underage who didn't know a thing, for goodness sake, they're the same age! But that's not even the point! He's not even sure what was the point back then.

After so much discussion, arguments and scolding and more scolding. They asked him, no, forced him to marry Eunji. 

That became his sentence for a crime that he didn't even remember he committed. He felt wronged and confused at the same time cause he really didn't remember anything. He felt estranged in his own family as he saw his own parents rebuking him because of her. He's not sure if he wants to get mad at them or to Eunji or to himself.

But one thing he's sure, most importantly, he didn't want to get married yet.

He knew he was so drunk, it was his birthday celebration the night before, but even so... he could have remembered something but he couldn't, no matter how much he tried to squeeze any memory from his stupid brain, there was really none of it.

He felt bad too, if he really did something to Eunji and took advantage of her, he didn't know how to apologize for something he can't even remember.

He was all confused and frustrated at the same time. He hated Eunji cause she seemed to be happy with their parents' decision, of course. Why wouldn't she be? Then it all makes sense to him.  Wasn't that her plan all this time? It even occurred to him that Eunji must have manipulated this scheme all along and wondered if something really happened to them that night. And his plan to apologize vanished. There were a lot of things in his mind and decided to keep it there for everyone's sake.

He hated himself too cause he couldn't bring himself to go against his parents. His mother was very happy indeed. He knew how much his mother wanted Eunji as a daughter. His father was supportive too. They even got them their own house as their wedding gift.

Everyone was excited and happy when the news broke.His friends are no exception, sure they were surprised but Jongin couldn't bring himself to tell any of the guys the reason behind the sudden wedding 'cause he's not sure either. But nonetheless, they're happy for them. Everyone's happy. Everyone but him.

Eunji's parents came back two weeks before their wedding. Her mom helped Eunji get their house fully furnished as her wedding gift to them.

They had a garden wedding at some exclusive hotel resort in town, a small one since it was rushed but nevertheless all the people needed to be there were there. Eunji said that she wanted it private and simple and so it was. Jongin couldn't care less really.

They didn't go for their honeymoon 'cause they still have school to attend to and projects are piling up here and there. Eunji's mom promised them a week of all expense paid trip overseas on their sem break instead.